


day by day (just one step at a time)

by cinderlily



Series: I'll be yours to keep [6]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Father's Day, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 22:25:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11240535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderlily/pseuds/cinderlily
Summary: When your kid is under two weeks old, you really aren't much for celebrating a holiday. Even Father's Day.





	day by day (just one step at a time)

Jamie had agreed that their first Father’s Day, just a few weeks after Asher had come home, they weren’t going to do anything. It was enough stress just getting their shit together every day to really even think about adding an _event_ on the day. Add to that that Ash had a habit of … never sleeping. Ever. And neither one of them really felt like it would be worth it. 

But Ash had been on his side of the bed for the night, in his little bassinet, which meant he heard him while Tyler was still curled up on his side. It had been a rough night and it was just barely past seven in the morning, so Jamie scooped up Ash and rushed out of the room. Tyler didn’t even make a noise. 

They padded down to the kitchen, where Jamie pressed a button on their coffee maker and on Ash’s formula maker. He had just enough cognitive energy to remember which was which. Hopefully. 

Ash was in fine form, even if he was doing his morning hunger wiggle, so Jamie hazarded putting him in the little bouncy seat while he tried to figure out what food they had in the house. To be honest, it was generally take out food and leftovers from teammates’ wives who’d brought them so much food. But there were a dozen eggs NOT past their dates and some turkey bacon. He noted it but knew he had no time at that moment. 

The little formula machine beeped to signal it was done so he went over and grabbed Asher, pushing his astoundingly fuzzed up hair down and finding a comfy enough chair. The baby took the bottle and happily scarfed the food like it hadn’t only been two hours since he’d eaten last. Or was it three. The night fuzzed together. 

“Enjoy that metabolism, duder,” he whispered. “Cause you hit thirty and it goes to shit rapidly.” 

Ash opened one eye and looked at him and though he knew it wasn’t true he was pretty sure the infant was judging him. Eh, he probably deserved it. He took his time burping him and wasn’t even puked on so it was a rousing success. 

They slipped quietly into his nursery nearby their bedroom, though really Tyler could sleep through the second coming. He changed him and found the onesie that Jenny had sent him, a pair of crossed sticks and the words, “My Dads say STICK IT.” He never wore it in public, but it was still Jamie’s favorite as of yet. 

By the time they reached the kitchen again it was somehow just passed 8 and the blessed smell of coffee was wafting around. He put Asher back in the bouncer. They’d had varying success but they could get a whole four or five minutes at a time with him in that. Having been up for a whole hour, he got in and within a moment the slight bounce and vibration had him asleep. 

Jamie might have danced around the kitchen a little. 

He poured himself a large glass of sweet sweet coffee, pulled the eggs and the bacon out, and started in on making the QUIETEST breakfast he could. In the past, he would have had music on high blast, but in the past there would be no Asher and he figured it was a more than fair trade. He just hummed, very quietly, some songs he liked as he cracked eggs and put the skillet on for the bacon. 

Once the bacon hit the skillet and started to crackle he turned to find that Asher had opened his eyes. He was looking at Jamie like he was either going to the bathroom or was genuinely curious. Jamie prayed for the second. He walked over, keeping an ear out for the bacon. 

“Hey Ash,” he said, coming close to Asher. Jordie had said he could only see like a foot in front of him so he tried to talk to him as close as possible. “That’s bacon. You’re going to love it. Your other dad could eat a pound on his own, man. It’s the best. But you have to have teeth.”

Asher made a noise. 

“I know man, I know. Rough start. But the formula seems to be pretty satisfying, right? This is just better.” 

Then he sneezed. So maybe he wasn’t curious and he was just working on the sneeze, but Jamie liked to think he was having a moment with his son. His _son_. He tried saying that as often as possible, but it still felt surreal. 

“Bless you, duder.” 

He turned around to find that he probably should focus on the food. It was pretty easy, not like he was going for culinary delight or anything. He flipped the bacon and checked the edges of the eggs. It was a calm little scene. 

Until Tyler ran, full speed in, his hair messed up and his chest bare. “What the fuck?” 

“Good morning?” Jamie curled an eyebrow. 

“It’s almost nine,” Tyler said, looking at the clock. “How was I still sleeping?” 

Jamie smiled. “You looked so innocent. I had to at least pretend you were for a little longer.” 

“Did I get six hours in a row? Did… I slept for six hours. In a row,” he said in amazement. He rubbed his fingers through his hair and walked over to where Asher was still slightly awake, his body doing the weird little jerks that seemed to be of their own free will. “Hey Buddy, I missed you.” 

Jamie didn’t roll his eyes. “Dude, he was six feet from you the whole night.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Tyler said. “But six hours. Man. I thought we weren’t giving each other Father’s Day gifts.” 

“It wasn’t a Father’s Day gift,” Jamie said, a little defensively. “I was just… up. And thought you might like some sleep.” 

Tyler, who had picked Asher up and had him on his shoulder. “And the breakfast?” 

“I was making food for myself, it was just rude to not make you some.” 

“Too bad, Benn,” Tyler said, walking over to their kitchen table. “I was going to go for a jog with little man and gift you a nap after breakfast…” 

Nap was just about the sweetest word he’d ever heard in his life. It sounded better than sex at that point, but he wouldn’t say it out loud. He put the plates down and must have been making a face cause Tyler rolled his eyes at him.

“Asher already said he wants to go on a jog, so you are stuck taking a nap,” Tyler said, adding with a wink. "And after we're both rested up... who knows?" 

It was kind of the best first Fathers' Day ever, in retrospect.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Father's Day! Or Fathers' Day. Or Sperm Donor Day. Or Second Mother's Day. Or Sunday. (Take that any way you will. I feel you.) 
> 
> I need to see Jamie Benn dancing in his kitchen, cause come on, we all know he does it. 
> 
> Title from "Farther On Down the Road" by Taj Mahal


End file.
